Animal training device that controls stimulus using proportional pressure-based input

A remote training device for training an animal, the device comprising:

• a receiver for attachment to an animal to be trained, the receiver comprising:
• first transmit/receive circuitry configured for wireless communication with a remote device;
• stimulus application circuitry that applies a first non-aversive stimulus to the animal at a stimulus intensity;
• and
• a first microprocessor in signal communication with the first transmit/receive circuitry and with the stimulus application circuitry, the first microprocessor configured to:
• receive control signals from a pressure sensitive input device in signal communication with the first microprocessor, the control signals defining the stimulus intensity as proportional to an amount of pressure applied to the input device, in that the stimulus intensity increases as the amount of pressure increases and that changes to the stimulus intensity over time do not exceed a ramp-up threshold;
• and
• cause the stimulus application circuitry to apply the first non-aversive stimulus to the animal at the stimulus intensity defined by the control signals;
• for a first period before a first time, determine, based on an input signal, that the amount of pressure applied to the input device is zero;
• responsively control the stimulus application circuitry to not apply the first non-aversive stimulus to the animal during the first period;
• responsive to receiving the input signal at the first time, determine based on the input signal that the amount of pressure increased from zero to a magnitude corresponding to an amplitude of the input signal received at the first time;
• and
• responsive to determining that the pressure increased from zero, cause the stimulus application circuitry to apply the first non-aversive stimulus gradually increasing from zero to the stimulus intensity defined in the control signals
• responsive to receiving the input signal at a second time after the first time, determine based on the input signal that the amount of pressure on the input device decreased to zero;
• and
• responsive to determining that the pressure decreased to zero, control the stimulus application circuitry to gradually decrease the stimulus intensity at a predetermined rate of change.